Suicide is among the leading causes of death for pregnant women and new mothers, according to the latest figures.

In 2017, there were 16 maternal deaths, with one in five of those deaths directly related to the pregnancy, according to a report by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

The main causes of maternal death in 2017 were cardiovascular (5), suicide (4), sepsis (2), substance use complications (2), epilepsy (1), obstetric haemorrhage (1) and unexplained (1).

Maternal death is a very rare event in Australia, and the rate has been stable at around six per 100,000 women giving birth between 2008 and 2017.